Method of and means for producing multicolor printing plates



Jan. 18, 1927. 1,614,925'

- B. F. HUTCHISON METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUClNG MULTICOLOR PRINTING PLATES Filed Nov; 30. 1925 Irwenor a,Ben 'ami/1 Fuzcfals'ozz Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

- trating varied combinations of blocking out p UNITED STATES colored pictures.

-more or less diagrammaticall PATENT omer.. 5

BENJAMIN F. nUrcH'rsoN, or Los ANGELES, cALu'onNIA.

- METHOD OI' AND MEAN' S FOR PBODCING MULTICOLOB PRINTING PLATES.. I

pplication led November 30, 1925. Serial No. 72,161.

This inventionrelates to the novel crea'- tion of a negative adapted forsthe purpose of producing by Ithe photo-engraving or related processes aprintmg plate suitable. to be one of a set of plates :for printing multi- An object of my invention is to produce a novel composite and mechanical negative from which may be produced one of a set of plates for printing multi-colored pictures.

advantage and object A of my novel method is to enable the photo-engraver to produce with less labor, and less skilled labor, a printing plate to be usedas one of a set for vmulti-colored rinting. A

Another object .and advantage of my novel method is that Vthe photo-engraver may economically produce a printing plate for use aS one of the set of plates for multi-colored printing, and for use in conjunction with a'n ordinary printing plate which the owner has already purchased and probably used infthe productionof one-color prints. v

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appeafr from the accomf pm l'ying drawing, the subjoined detail description and the-appended claims.

The accompanying drawing illustrates Y an application of my novel method an invention in producing a negative from which a printing plate may be reduced.

Figure 1 ustrates a plan view of the prepared negative base. Portions a're broken awa to contract the view.

Fig. 2 shows the negative base having an impression of the key plate imprinted thereon and a portion of which imprint is dusted -with rotten stone.- v v Fig. 3 is a -fragmental view of the sheet shown in Fi 2 with the application of powered gra ite to the rotten stone dusted imprint of t e key plate.

' Fig. 4 shows the sheet illustrated in Fig. 3 having a portion thereof painted over with the water soluble opaque paint.

Fi .5 shows a fragment of the sheet illustrate in Fig. 4 with the key plate mold removed.

Fig. 6 is a view analogous to Fig. 4 illusportions of the negative -base to, obtain various combinations of design.

F' g. 7 is a view analogous to Fig. 5 using the design shown in 6.

'. Fig. 8 is a greatly e arged section 'taken on line m8, Fig. 6. v

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the negative base villustrated in either Figs. 5 or 6 with the opaque paint removed and'in condition to again receive an imprint of a key plate.

In carrying out my novel 'method I first produce a negative base 1 in the following ferent color from the ink used in the printing in order that the workmen may Areadily distinguish in future operations the different sides of' the negative base by its color. When the printed surface is fully` dried, the surplus size powder is removed by dusting the sheet with a. cloth or brush, or by washing in water, and the sheet is then thinly covered on the side upon which the design has been imprinted w1th a transparent' protective coating or covering 4. This thiny transparent protective covering rotects the design negative and transparent s eet in subsequent operations as will be more fully hereinafter explained.-

. For the transparent sheet k2, I prefer to use a transparent cellulose, such as celluloid or cellophane having a thickness of from 3 to 10'one thousandths of an inch. Iftho material selected is Celluloid, the negative design imprinted thereon may be thinly s rayed by an a'ir brush, with clear varnish iluted with pureturpentine, or the jvarnish may be flowed over the surface and the surplus drained olf to thus form the protective j covering 4. 1 If the material selected is cel'- lophanethe sheet and the negativev design printed thereon may be'protected with a protective covering of liquid nitro-cellulose, either` sprayed or flowed thereover as with the varnish. p

I have described the materials used in the production of the ne ative base by way of ilustration only, and o not wish to be limited thereby; it being understood that any transparent sheet having an opaque negative design imprinted thereon and then protected by a thin transparentcoating of a character that will protect the base and negative design from the action of gasoline, or similar solvent and from the action of water, and which produces a smooth hard surface from which an embossedand friable key plate mold may be easily removed will answer.:-

In addition to the negative base above described the workman 1s provided with a water soluble opaque paint, brushes, pans,

y chamois and paper stumps, clean cotton, and

gasoline or slmilar solvent.

Before proceeding to make, by my method, a set of printing plates to be used for multicolor printing, there will first be made by any of the customary methods a printing plate (not shown) embodying the lines of the drawing or icture to be re roduced in the multi-colored) print. This printing plate may be, andin my practice usually is, subsequently used as one of 'the completed set of plates, or after having served its purpose inl carrying out the steps in my process it maybe discarded and another plate substituted or'it in the 'finished set. This plate may also contain other lines in addition to the lines of the drawing or picture guide lines which are guide lines for use in the 'production of the negatives for the other plates of the'set', or this plate may be one which has been previously .used for single colorprints, and is now desired to be used as one of a set for multi-color printing; the other members of the set being produced from negatives made by my process. This plate 'I designate as the key plate, and the plates of the set made from negatives produced by my process I designate as supplementary plates.

vThe workman will first imprint an impression 5 of the key plate upon the negative base, preferably upon the side upon which the protective coatinr is a plied and which side is easify distingulshab e by the red lead dusting of the negative design. I prefer to make this impression upon the protective coating of the negative base because when the negative base is used as a negative the impression will be in contact with the sensitized metal because the thickness of the coating 4 is much thinner than the sheet 2.

, render the embossed image when dry of a soft and friable character. T his is shown at 6, Fig. 2. The workman may then dust the print with powdered graphite for the purpose of rendering the embossed and friable image water proof, at a as shown in Fig. 3. The whole surface of the negative base may then be coated with a solution consisting of the white or albumen of one egg mixed with about one pint of water, using a soft paper to blot up the surplus albumen from the surface of the negative base, the object being to obtain a very thin coating of albul men, so that the water soluble opaque paint to be later applied to portions o the negative base as later described will not crawl, but lay evenly and easily. This embossed opaque, riable and waterproof image upon the negative base, I designate as the key plate mold.

All of that portion of the negative base 4 with the opaque water soluble paint 7, the

lines of the drawing in the key plate mold being raised or embossed on the surface of the negative base serve both as a guide, and as a check, dam or control of the Howing opaque paint, thereby increasing the speed by which the work may be done, decreasing the amount of care and skill required of the workmen, and insuring precision ofregister in the final multi-colored print.

When the opaque paint is dry, all or any portion of the key plate mold may be removed. As it is friable and embossed, this may be done with a paper stump or soft piece of wood r similar instrument, andl -or any portion of the key late mold lines.

The embossing or the raislng of the lines of the key plate mold further enable the workmen to distinguish the drawing or lines of the picture embodied in the key plate mold, even when such lines may be pamted over with the water soluble opaque paint, which lays thin and flat upon the negative base, thereb leaving the key plate mold line in relief; w enever this is done, i. e., the key plate mold lines painted over with opaque, and the key plate mold lines removed, I designate the result as a key late mold ilegative shown at A in Fig. and whenever and wherever, the key plate mold 'is permitted to remain as shown by the design at B in Fig. 4, I designate the resultas a fkey plate mold positive. It will be obvious that whenever the workman removes the key plate mold'line, that lap line register will result in the` final multi-colored print, and whenever the key plate mold line is retained in the negative that hairline, or ybutt register willresult and so the character of the register can be mechanically adjusted to require'- ments ofv thel finished multi-colored print. It will be apparent that by mechanically removing only portions of the key plate mold I provlde a negative Iin which both butt line and lap line register may be mechanically obtained.

After the negative has been prepared, it is photographically printed upon sensitized metal in the customary manner, and if the workman has properlyapplied the opaque paint and made correct use of the key plate mold lines, either or both as positive or negative lines, the result will be a print upon the metal containing the selected design contained in the negative base such'as a half tone dot, and all guide lines and necessary drawing of the key plate, so that the workman may paint in solids upon the plate, and re-etch any part of the plate and portions of the design ori inall contained in the negative base (suc as t e half tone dot) and as may be desired, all of which is done in the customary way. The final result is a plate which can be used as one of a set in the production of multi-colored prints, perfect 1n register with the other plate or plates of the set, the register being either lap-line or butt-line as re uired, and varied in tone from solid to de icate high light. l After the photo print is made upon the sensitized metal, the negative base is washed with water, and gasoline or similar solvent toy remove the opaque paint and any portion of the key late mold that was used in the negative and) the negative base may then be reused.

Another method of using the negative base is to make a print of the key plate upon paper, plate it beneath the negative base as a guide, and paint over portions of the negative base where the design is not to appear in the negative; the negative so prepared is then photographically rinted upon sensitized metal and etched, a l in the customary manner, after which 'the negative base is washed off with water and then may be reused.

I claim.

1, The method of producing a negative for use in producing a printing plate for one of a set of plates for multi-color printing which method comprises imposing an opaque negative design upon a transparent sheet; then covering said design`to embed the same in a composite negative base and protect such sheet, from the actionof gasoline and similar solvents and from the action of water; then building up upon said negative base an embossed and friable key plate moldl which may be removed by a stump and by the action of gasoline and similar solvents; and then applying to desired portions of such negative base a' water soluble opaque paint.

2; The method of producingA a negati-ve l esign; then removing any surplus size powder; then thinly covering such dusted `design with a transparent protective covering; then making a key plate impression upon the protective covering surface; then dusting the wet key plate impression with a dry owder to build u the same and make the ey plate impresslon soft and riable; then rendering the friable impression water proof; then covering the surface of the sheet upon which the key plate impression is imposed with a coating of albumen;`and then painting desired portions of the albumen surfacewith an opaque 'Water soluble aint. 3. The method of producing a negative for use in obtaining a lprinting plate for one of a set of plates for multi-color printing which method comprises first imposing upon a transparent sheet a negative design; then dusting said design while wet with a size powder of a different color than that of the design; then removing any surplus size powder; then thinly covering such dusted design with a transparent protective covering; then powder to build up the same and make the key plate impression soft .and friable; then rendering the friable impression water proof then covering the surface of the sheet upon which the key plate impression is -imposed with a coating of albumen; then painting the desired portions of the albumen surface with an opaque water soluble paint; and then removing desired portions of the key plate impression.

4. The method of producing Aa negative for use in producing a printing plate for one of a set of plates for multi-color printing and introducing therein an embedded design, such as a half tone dot, said method comprising first printing upon a trans arentl ynon-abosorbent sheet, that is insolu le in picture fromgsaid sheets so'that the transparent sheet containing the embedded design l0 may bereused. 4 1

In testimony -Whereof, I-have hereunto setl my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 24th day ofvNovember, 1925.v

BENJAMIN F. HU'rcHisoN. 

